Cousins, a girl and a boy,
stood alone in the kitchen
of the farmhouse away from
the laughter coming from the parlor
and dining rooms, exchanged glances,
slipped barefoot through the back door
into the yard under rain clouds
into the woods towards a stream,
leapt over it into the mud
on the other side of the bank
not knowing exactly what it was
they were chasing, slid down
a slick knoll of high grass
seasoned by summer,
tumbled into each other,
kissing to the teeth,
pulled at each other’s hair,
tore off tops and shorts
until they could touch
what they had chased,
let their bodies lead them
where they were led to go
Astonished,
they lay looking face to face
sleeping and waking,
watching the last clouds
of the storm push away,
lay the rest of the afternoon
in realms of butterflies